Ear muff and ornament thereon



Dec. 28, 1954 J. LATTUCA EARMUFF AND ORNAMENT THEREON Filed April 20, 1951 INVENTORV JOHN LATTUC'A BY (Q United States Patent EAR MUFF AND ORNAMENT THEREON John Lattuca, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application April 20, 1951, Serial No. 222,053.

1 Claim. c1. 2-209 This invention relates to new and useful improvements in an earmuff.

More particularly, the present invention proposes the construction of an earmuff characterized by an extendable flexible strip for extension over the top of the head and upon the ends of which decorative members are mounted with the strip having sufficient resiliency to maintain the decorative members against the ears.

Another object of the present invention, proposes providing each of the decorative members with a peripheral flange upon which an earmuif member is mounted for covering the inner face of the decorative member and provide warmth for the ears.

Still further, it is proposed to provide each of the peripheral edges of the earmuff members with an elastic ring which is engaged over the peripheral flange of the respective decorative member in a manner to mount the earmuff member in position thereon.

A further object of the present invention proposes the provision of a pin extended laterally outward from the outerface of each of the decorative members and upon which small propellers are mounted in a manner to rotate in the wind as the head is turned turning the propellers into the wind.

The present invention further proposes forming the decorative members to simulate the face of a clown and to have the pins extend laterally outward from the end of the nose of the clown face in a manner to make the earrnuif particularly appealing to small children and en courage the use thereof during cold inclement weather.

It is a further object of the present invention to comstruct a novel earmuff which is simple and durable and which can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the earmufl constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

F Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 5 is an enlarged partial vertical sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged partial horizontal sectional view tallcfn on the line 6-6 of Fig. l, but omitting the prope er.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the earmuff members forming a part of the earmuif.

The earmutf, according to the present invention, is characterized by an extendable flexible strip 10 for extension over the top of the head between the ears. Details of the construction of the strip 10 which permits it to be extended will not be given in this specification, as such extendable strips are generally known in the earmuff art.

Mounted on each end of the flexible strip 10, there is a decorative frame member of concavo-convexo configuration 11. The decorative members 11, in the illustrated form of the invention, are molded of any desired 2,697,836 Patented Dec. 28, 1954 resinous plastic material in the form of a clowns face with an open rear side facing inward to be positioned against the ears. The open rear side of the decorative members are bounded by a marginal flange 12, terminating in a peripheral flange 12 which is cut away at the areas where the ends of the strip 10 are secured to the decorative members 11. At the cut away areas of the flange 12, the ends of the strip 10 are abutted against bosses 13 molded in the interior of the decorative members 11 and pivotally attached thereto by rivets 14, see particularly Fig. 5. Thus, the decorative members 11 have slight pivotal movement on the ends of the strip 10 within the bounds of the ends of the flange 12.

Positioned against the inner face of each of the decorative members 11, there is an earmulf member or pouch 15. Each of the earmuff members 15 is formed of a piece of sheepskin or other soft Warm material 16 and has a ring of elastic material 17 secured thereto by stitches 18, see Figs. 5 and 6. The ring of elastic material 17 is of a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the peripheral flange 12 of the respective decorative member 11 and is engaged over that flange for mounting the respective earmuff member 15 in position on the decorative member.

Extending from the center of the decorative member 11, there is a pin 19 upon which a propeller 20 is rotatively mounted to turn in the wind. As shown most clearly in Figs. 1, 3 and 5, the pins 19 extend from the end of the nose of the clowns face formation of the decorative members 11.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that the present invention proposes a novel earmuff construction which includes as an integral part thereof small propellers which are brought into position over the ears, when the earmuff is put on, so that the propellers will turn when the decorative members 11 are turned into the wind as the head is turned. This will increase the appeal of the earmufl to small children and help to overcome the objection they have to wearing such earmuifs during inclement cold weather.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent 1s:

A new and ornamental earrnuff comprising an open ended solid molded plastic supporting frame member concavo-convex in configuration and having a marginal supporting flange terminating in a peripheral flange, said marginal and peripheral flanges being formed with a cut away portion, a boss integrally formed on the inner surface of the supporting frame member adjacent the marginal flange for attaching one end of a supporting band extending through the cut away portion, a pouch of soft fabric material closing the open end of thesupporting frame member, said pouch having a ring of elastic annular material of a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the marginal flange fastened to the pouch and stretched over said flange for holding the pouch on the supporting frame member, and an ornamental member rotatably supported on the outside of the supporting frame member, at its center.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 155,437 Molin et al. Oct. 4, 1949 1,727,484 Myers Sept. 10, 1929 2,314,782 Goretsky Mar. 23, 1943 2,420,245 Hurst May 6, 1947 2,447,078 Maxant Aug. 17, 1948 2,504,826 Goldman Apr. 18, 1950 

